Author: Suman Chowdhury (Mony), August 18 2014 - Recently in Bangladesh, some agricultural farmers showed their agitation against the government by throwing tons of paddy [rice in the husk before processing] in the main road of the capital city. The cause of their grief was that they couldn’t make a profit by selling paddy, due to the high production costs and also excess production of paddy in this year (2012). Last winter, some vegetable farmers also threw tons of tomatoes in the roads of several cities of Bangladesh due to same cause.

Author: Suman Chowdry (Mony), August 18 2014 - Many donor organizations and countries of the world have been donating or lending billions of money as aid for a long time in many third world countries and underdeveloped and developing countries for organizing various types of social and economic development programs including poverty alleviation. Many countries do their development work by using foreign assistance.

Author: Richard Alam, August 14 2014 - After 3 years of civil war, or revolution or civil unrest (I’m not sure what to call it anymore…) the world now faces one of the worst humanitarian crises in the modern history of the Middle East - or to be geographically accurate, West Asia. Over three million Syrian children are internally displaced, and over one million Syrian children have fled to neighboring countries for safety.

Author: Warren Feek, August 14 2014 - All of us worry all of the time about both strategy and money! So the more we can share experiences and analysis the better for all. Some ideas and questions follow. Please do respond by logging in and commenting.

Author: Lilian Kiefer, August 14 2014 - Adolescence is a defining period in the growth of a young person. Supporting young people to successfully navigate this stage of life can help break the cycle of poverty and produce great benefits for individuals, communities, and countries.

During adolescence, a growing person has the possibility of being exposed to life risking activities such as unprotected sex, early marriage and abuse. It is also during adolescence that most individuals discover their real worth and status when it comes to whether they are HIV positive or negative.

Author: Ranjani K. Murthy, August 11 2014 - It is widely recognized that three delays have a bearing on accessing maternal health care, namely, delays in decision to seek care, delays in reaching care, and delays in receiving adequate quality care. See Box 1 for details:

Author: Lora Shimp, June 12 2014 - "The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through." Sydney J. Harris

The increasing threat of non-communicable diseases (often called chronic diseases or NCDs) prompted the United Nations, in 2011, to issue the second political declaration on health in its history, the first being on AIDS in 2006. The pandemic of chronic diseases includes cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers and chronic lung disease, which together account for 60 percent of deaths worldwide and is a leading global cause of disability.

"Media and social media can create a negative or positive vaccine sentiment and can provide a platform for lobbies and key opinion leaders to influence others....Community leaders and influencers, including religious leaders in some settings, celebrities in others, can all have a significant influence on vaccine acceptance or hesitancy."...

Published since 2009, Bingwa magazine for children is intended to be a source of information, advice, and fun for children aged 9-14. It also offers a space for children to speak up and be heard, with a particular focus on fighting corruption and eradicating poverty. Published by Africa Child, the free magazine began as a three-times-per year...

Black Gold (Ouro Negro) is a serial radio drama in Mozambique designed to raise awareness around improving children's health and development. The drama, which is being broadcast nationally in 2015, uses an entertainment-education approach to promote and disseminate the Facts for Life information developed by the United Nations Children's...

Launched in 2011, Save the Children's 5-year Children Lead the Way (CLW) programme aims to secure the rights of girls and boys to protection, education, and survival in Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Nicaragua, and Peru. CLW works to promote the fulfilment of the rights of girls and boys, with a main focus on children who work. The goal is to...

Defeating Malaria: From the Genes to the Globe draws on various communication strategies and tools in an effort to produce, transmit, and translate knowledge to support the control and ultimate eradication of malaria around the world. Led by the United States (US)-based Harvard School of Public Health, the university is working to...

Culminating at a December 2014 conference, TELLME was a 36-month collaborative project that sought to provide evidence and to develop models for improved risk communication during infectious disease crises around the world. The TELLME project combined public health, social sciences, behavioural sciences, political sciences, law, ethics,...

"There is no point in having a vaccine if you cannot roll it out. This is a story for donors, who increasingly need to know that the money which is going into developing countries is actually having an impact, and this is a very good example of something which has a clear and measurable impact."

During the monsoon season (June to October), in some flood-prone communities in Bangladesh, children cannot attend school, and communities cannot access healthcare facilities when their villages are cut off from mainland services by flooding. Two "floating schools" on river boats are being supplied to teach children ages 6-14 and to offer...

In October 2013, a training in Salvador, Brazil, introducing a multimedia technology called Vojo, was presented to 20 youth in a quilombo community (a settlement of people originally of African origin), Ilha de Maré, which has no internet access. The training introduced a means of posting content in the internet with inexpensive mobile phones...

Certified polio-free in 2014, India turned its attention to another public health challenge: the elimination of lymphatic filariasis (also called filaria or elephantiasis - "Hathipaon" in colloquial Hindi), which is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that threatens nearly half of its population (500 million people).

In August 2014, a group of youth aged 16 to 21 participated in a comic drawing workshop in the Northern Region of Ghana. During the workshop, Ebola emerged as a priority issue, and the young people, guided by facilitators, created comic strip stories around various aspects of the disease. The resulting booklet is being distributed to help raise...

"Media and social media can create a negative or positive vaccine sentiment and can provide a platform for lobbies and key opinion leaders to influence others....Community leaders and influencers, including religious leaders in some settings, celebrities in others, can all have a significant influence on vaccine acceptance or hesitancy."...

"[R]egardless of the setting and causes of vaccine hesitancy, poor communication needs to be addressed generally, in addition to developing targeted communication to address hesitancy and improve vaccine uptake."

This is one of the lessons that emerged from a November 2011 meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (...

"The humanitarian situation...remains of grave concern and, as the conflict enters its fourth year, insecurity, and violence continue to force the people of Syria to seek safety and protection elsewhere. Disruption of health services and infrastructure, low levels of routine immunisation and prolonged wild poliovirus circulation places the...

This document reports on preliminary findings from polls conducted as part of a global research initiative to understand and respond to parents' views and experiences receiving polio vaccine. As the researchers - who hail from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) as part of a collaboration between the Harvard Opinion Research Program (...

"Following the attacks on polio workers in December 2012 and in 2013, the overall aim of the communications programme has shifted towards positioning polio vaccination so that community, political and religious leaders view OPV as an essential trusted commodity."

From the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), Ministry of Public Health, Afghanistan, this report narrates the epidemiological situation with regard to polio, the status of supplementary immunisation activities (SIAs), acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, and communication activities implemented in 2013 and planned for 2014.

This is a first-of-its-kind collection of writings by evaluation professionals working in South Asia. It analyses and documents the status of, and challenges for, development evaluation in this region. The collection covers three critical dimensions of making evaluation matter in development processes and change in South Asia: context, methods...

Working closely with the Country Risk Manager, the Safety and Security Officer will be responsible for the Juba based Internews fleet inclusive of overseeing movement scheduling and maintenance. He/She will also have deputy security responsibilities inclusive of security training and security operations support...

"To address anti-polio sentiments and violence targeting polio workers early in 2013, the program intensified social and community mobilization activities providing opportunities for community leaders to engage in the response and become advocates for the program's success."

Offered by the NetWorks Project, this online training series is designed to strengthen capacity on how to use evidence and data to create strong social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) programmes for malaria prevention and control. The training series is intended for a wide audience, but primarily for those who work on malaria control...

From the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), the Global Polio Emergency Action Plan (EAP) aims to boost vaccination coverage in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, the 3 remaining polio-endemic countries. It builds on India's success in stopping polio transmission and outlines a range of new strategies and initiatives to better support...

The 10th eLearning Africa Conference will "showcase the stories, experiences, research, thinking and expertise that make up the complex but thrilling picture of ICT for development, education and training in Africa today, under the overall theme of Enriching Tomorrow." Hosted in 2015 in collaboration with the Ethiopian Ministry of Communication...

From the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), Ministry of Public Health, Afghanistan, this report narrates the epidemiological situation with regard to polio, the status of supplementary immunisation activities (SIAs), acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, and communication activities implemented in 2013 and planned for 2014.

Author: Anand Shekar, February 11 2015 - Mahatma Gandhi had a long relationship with the railways. The railways were instrumental in the conversion of the lawyer M.K. Gandhi into the Mahatma as he traveled by trains through the whole country in his quest for...

Produced as part of Internews' Project on Conflict and Media during 2012-2014, this toolbox for journalists "uses the principles of conflict-sensitive journalism (CSJ) to teach reporters how to cover even the most senseless acts of cruelty in a way that contributes to peacebuilding. It includes theoretical background, practical tips, and...

During the monsoon season (June to October), in some flood-prone communities in Bangladesh, children cannot attend school, and communities cannot access healthcare facilities when their villages are cut off from mainland services by flooding. Two "floating schools" on river boats are being supplied to teach children ages 6-14 and to offer...

Certified polio-free in 2014, India turned its attention to another public health challenge: the elimination of lymphatic filariasis (also called filaria or elephantiasis - "Hathipaon" in colloquial Hindi), which is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that threatens nearly half of its population (500 million people).

David Blumenkrantz’s professional experience includes eight years of NGO, documentary and photojournalism work in East and Central Africa. From his home in Kenya, he traveled extensively and covered social, relief and development, and political issues. From 1992-1994, he was the Information Department Coordinator for the Undugu Society of Kenya...

"[A] social design focus should concentrate on context-specific innovations that open safe spaces for dialogue and create new ways of delivering motivating and clear messages to the general public by challenging normalised ideas. Ultimately, this article creates a platform upon which this type of social design thinking and output can develop...

"Without question, communication is playing an increasingly important role within complex emergencies. New information and communication technologies and burgeoning social media use are combining with the extensive reach and use of traditional media to provide crucial lifeline information resources for vulnerable people."

This toolkit is intended to serve as an educational tool, providing information and resources for the design and implementation of activities to promote transparency in education. Created for individuals and institutions, particularly youth-led and youth-oriented non-governmental organisations (NGOs), it was developed by the International...

"[S]pecific communication challenges make it difficult for the public to perceive the risks of polio among other priorities, and hinder adequate support from governments, social and religious institutions, the media, community leaders and other stakeholders."

Working closely with the Country Risk Manager, the Safety and Security Officer will be responsible for the Juba based Internews fleet inclusive of overseeing movement scheduling and maintenance. He/She will also have deputy security responsibilities inclusive of security training and security operations support...

Author: Tom Baker, February 18 2015, originally posted on World Radio Day, themed "Youth" (February 13 2015) - In this interview, Tom Baker explains how BBC Media Action is using the unique power of radio to inform, connect and empower young people around the world.

Author: Rukhsana Ahmad, February 13 2015 - For me, as a Karachi-ite, born and bred, the invitation to be a trainer on The Bigger Picture: Media, Representation and Inclusion in Pakistan, was irresistible. Here was my chance to revisit my former hometown, not for personal reasons as I often do, but as a writer hoping to engage in stimulating...

From the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), Ministry of Public Health, Afghanistan, this report narrates the epidemiological situation with regard to polio, the status of supplementary immunisation activities (SIAs), acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, and communication activities implemented in 2013 and planned for 2014.

"...Polio program in Afghanistan has identified 6 key intervention areas that will be essential to assure the implementation of strategies [including]:...Communication directed to increased community demand and ownership..."

Author: Mamoletsane Khati, February 18 2015 - In a region where child marriage reigns supreme and is silently accepted by many as a "normal" practice, the media needs to take charge and correct misconceptions.

And that is exactly what journalists from four Southern Africa countries are doing after receiving support from regional...

Author: Rukhsana Ahmad, February 13 2015 - For me, as a Karachi-ite, born and bred, the invitation to be a trainer on The Bigger Picture: Media, Representation and Inclusion in Pakistan, was irresistible. Here was my chance to revisit my former hometown, not for personal reasons as I often do, but as a writer hoping to engage in stimulating...

Author: Anna Colom, February 13 2015 - It’s been a significant few months for the “Any Questions” style TV and Radio show Sema Kenya. As Senior Production Manager Jackie Christie explains in her last...

From the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), Ministry of Public Health, Afghanistan, this report narrates the epidemiological situation with regard to polio, the status of supplementary immunisation activities (SIAs), acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, and communication activities implemented in 2013 and planned for 2014.

"...Polio program in Afghanistan has identified 6 key intervention areas that will be essential to assure the implementation of strategies [including]:...Communication directed to increased community demand and ownership..."

Author: Mamoletsane Khati, February 18 2015 - In a region where child marriage reigns supreme and is silently accepted by many as a "normal" practice, the media needs to take charge and correct misconceptions.

And that is exactly what journalists from four Southern Africa countries are doing after receiving support from regional...

This 63-page report discusses findings of a study exploring child protection in the media in Uganda. The study examined the policy and legal environment, media coverage, and the relationship between civil society organisations, government, and media as it relates to child protection. Together with similar studies conducted in Kenya, Tanzania,...

From the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), this literature review and searchable database of 123 peer-reviewed journal articles were developed from a review and programme scan of peer-reviewed and grey literature on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of...

Produced as part of Internews' Project on Conflict and Media during 2012-2014, this toolbox for journalists "uses the principles of conflict-sensitive journalism (CSJ) to teach reporters how to cover even the most senseless acts of cruelty in a way that contributes to peacebuilding. It includes theoretical background, practical tips, and...

"[S]pecific communication challenges make it difficult for the public to perceive the risks of polio among other priorities, and hinder adequate support from governments, social and religious institutions, the media, community leaders and other stakeholders."

Published since 2009, Bingwa magazine for children is intended to be a source of information, advice, and fun for children aged 9-14. It also offers a space for children to speak up and be heard, with a particular focus on fighting corruption and eradicating poverty. Published by Africa Child, the free magazine began as a three-times-per year...

Author: Rukhsana Ahmad, February 13 2015 - For me, as a Karachi-ite, born and bred, the invitation to be a trainer on The Bigger Picture: Media, Representation and Inclusion in Pakistan, was irresistible. Here was my chance to revisit my former hometown, not for personal reasons as I often do, but as a writer hoping to engage in stimulating...

From the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), Ministry of Public Health, Afghanistan, this report narrates the epidemiological situation with regard to polio, the status of supplementary immunisation activities (SIAs), acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, and communication activities implemented in 2013 and planned for 2014.

"...Polio program in Afghanistan has identified 6 key intervention areas that will be essential to assure the implementation of strategies [including]:...Communication directed to increased community demand and ownership..."

"To address anti-polio sentiments and violence targeting polio workers early in 2013, the program intensified social and community mobilization activities providing opportunities for community leaders to engage in the response and become advocates for the program's success."

Author: Gillies C Kasongo, February 18, submitted for World Radio Day, February 13 2015 - Panos Institute Southern Africa (PSAf) commends local radio stations that are transforming themselves into platforms that enable local communities with an opportunity to engage in dialogue on various developmental issues that affect their lives,...

"In the context of the Support to National Malaria Control Programme (SuNMaP), demand creation is the strategic combination of advocacy, communication, and mobilisation approaches that seek to achieve increased community awareness of, and demand for, effective malaria prevention and treatment services."

Author: Anand Shekar, February 11 2015 - Mahatma Gandhi had a long relationship with the railways. The railways were instrumental in the conversion of the lawyer M.K. Gandhi into the Mahatma as he traveled by trains through the whole country in his quest for...

"To achieve universal health coverage and better health outcomes, the world needs more health workers...Educating and training an ample supply of new health workers, though, is hindered by a limited number of schools and the scarcity of resources to scale up their efforts."

This webpage from the Council on Foreign Relations serves as a resource for communication practitioners and others seeking to understand - and access resources about - the global effort to eradicate polio. Clicking on each of the subheadings in the background brings the reader to information and multiple URLs leading to further data - for...

Offered by the NetWorks Project, this online training series is designed to strengthen capacity on how to use evidence and data to create strong social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) programmes for malaria prevention and control. The training series is intended for a wide audience, but primarily for those who work on malaria control...

"The engagement of new actors in global health - from philanthropic foundations to NGOs [non-governmental organisations] to multinational corporations - has created opportunities for partnership but also challenges of coordination and policy coherence."

From the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), this literature review and searchable database of 123 peer-reviewed journal articles were developed from a review and programme scan of peer-reviewed and grey literature on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of...

"This I-Kit introduces users to the building blocks for a social and behavior change communication (SBCC) strategy for breastfeeding. It links the SBCC strategy development to faith-based organizations (FBOs) assets such as religious leaders and religious texts. It includes basic information about breastfeeding and the role of FBOs, religious...

Produced as part of Internews' Project on Conflict and Media during 2012-2014, this toolbox for journalists "uses the principles of conflict-sensitive journalism (CSJ) to teach reporters how to cover even the most senseless acts of cruelty in a way that contributes to peacebuilding. It includes theoretical background, practical tips, and...

This edition of Global Media Journal entitled: International Media Assistance: Experiences and Prospects (available in German and in English) focuses on international aid to the media sector in developing countries, describing, defining, and documenting the practical and the theoretical aspects of international media...

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Plan Liberia Supports Ebola Survivors in Lofa County
Mar 3 2015 - 2:30pm
Plan Liberia, through its Lofa County Program Unit has concluded the food and non-food items distribution to Ebola survivals and affected families in three of Lofa's 12 districts.
The distribution targeted 100 family heads with over 345 direct beneficiaries mostly women and children in Voinjama city, Samoidu, Womanor, Bakedu, Koba and Nyoquoitahun communities covering Voinjama, Quardu Gboni and...

EU, MRU Ebola Confab Starts In Brussels
Mar 3 2015 - 2:05pm
The "Ebola: from emergency to recovery" conference opened Tuesday in Brussels under the organization and patronage of the European Union.
While international efforts have reduced the number of Ebola infections in recent months in West Africa, it is critical to maintain the momentum to prevent a sharp increase in new cases, the EU Liberia office said in a release.
The conference aims to sustain...

IMF Gives US$130m To Liberia’s Recovery
Mar 3 2015 - 2:01pm
The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, has disclosed that the institution gave US$130 million to Liberia’s recovery for the past five years.
Lagarde indicated that the amount covers new financing and debt relief, which include about US$45.6 million from its Rapid Credit Facility and about US$36.5 million in debt relief recently approved by the Executive Board...

Sierra Leone: For Sierra Leone's Amputees, Ebola Hits Twice As Hard
Mar 3 2015 - 8:03am
[Ebola Deeply]During Sierra Leone's 11-year civil war, as many as 27,000 people are estimated to have been disabled or lost limbs in brutal amputations by Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels. Marginalized by society, many of them rely on street begging. So how has the Ebola outbreak affected them? Khadi Mansaray found out.

Liberia: Risking Repetition - Are We Ignoring Ebola's Lessons?
Mar 3 2015 - 5:50am
[IRC]New York -The International Rescue Committee (IRC) today published a set of recommendations in response to the devastating Ebola outbreak as high-level delegates gather at the European Commission in Brussels to "take stock of the fight against the outbreak, coordinate further action for the total eradication of the disease and discuss the recove

West Africa: Orphaned By Ebola, Finding Ways to Survive
Mar 2 2015 - 4:23pm
[Ebola Deeply]According to UNICEF, at least 7,000 children have been orphaned by Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. While some have found places in orphanages or been taken in by relatives, many others - particularly those in remote villages - have fallen through the cracks. Aruna Turay visited communities in Freetown and Kailahun in Sierra Leone to find out how they are getting by.

Liberian Health Workers Who Lost Their Lives To Ebola
Mar 2 2015 - 1:55pm
Some of our fallen heros/heroines health workers who died from ebola while trying to save the lives of million liberian.
May their souls rest in perfect peace in Jesus name.
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Sierra Leone's vice president in quarantine for Ebola
Mar 2 2015 - 1:42pm
(By Associated Press)
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — Sierra Leone's vice president has put himself in quarantine following the death from Ebola of one of his security guards. Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana is set to become acting president later Sunday when President Ernest Bai Koroma leaves Sierra Leone to attend a European Union conference on Ebola in Belgium. Sam-Sumana will carry out his...

LIBERIA: ExxonMobil Contributes US$35k To Ebola Fight
Mar 2 2015 - 1:23pm
ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Liberia Ltd (ExxonMobil) has provided the More than Me organization US$35,000 grant to fund Ebola prevention and care efforts in Liberia.
The organization operates the More than Me Academy in the West Point neighborhood of Monrovia and works to get young girls off the street and into school.
It focuses on combating Ebola through caring for children left...

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